Guest Blog and Giveaway with Erica Hayes

One thing I love about the current popularity of paranormal fiction is the endless variety. Once upon a time, if a book was about, say, vampires, you knew exactly what you were getting. A vampire was a vampire. No crucifixes, no garlic, no going out in the sun, invite him in the house and you're screwed.

But no longer. These days, vampires can walk in the sun, go wherever they like, munch garlic pizza in church over a stream of running water if they feel like it. Same with werewolves -- some are slaves to the full moon, others fur up whenever they get the urge, and silver bullets aren't always the solution. We're limited only by the author's imagination and skill at making us believe.

And it's the same with fairies. They can be whatever you want them to be. I love the old Celtic mythology, but for the Shadowfae Chronicles I wanted to try something different. The stories are set in the new world – Australia is one of the newest countries on the planet in terms of Western culture. So how did fairies get here? And why did they come? Was it to explore, or to escape? And how have they adapted to their new life?

Well, sadly for them, it didn't turn out too well. The new world attracted far nastier creatures too, and the Melbourne of Shadowfae is owned by a selfish demon lord and his gang of vampire minions. It's a dark, magical, beautiful place, but the fairies are marginalised, treated like scum.

Around here, Tinkerbell would be on her back with her wings pinned to a sheet of cardboard in five minutes flat. To survive, a fairy's gotta be bold, capricious, selfish and tricksy. They don't take orders from any court or queen -- it's every fairy for him (or her) self. And when you could die any moment, what's there to do but party?

But my fairies are far from helpless. For one, they have magic. They hide from human eyes behind dazzling glamour that makes them look ordinary. And they each have their own peculiar elemental powers. Sometimes they're a blessing. Other times… well…

Ice from Shadowglass is waterfae, which means she's attuned to water in all its forms. Steam, humidity, rain and the ocean are all her domain. And her body reacts with water when she's under stress. She floods, drips, sweats rivers at the most inopportune times.

Her best buddy Blaze is a fire fairy. He has natural incendiaries in his fluids that he can ignite at will to attract and mesmerise you. But it's also dangerous -- if he's not careful, he'll burn himself. As usual in the fae world, you get nothing for nothing.

You'll also find earthfae, airfae and bloodfae wandering the pages of Shadowglass. But technology has changed things. The elements aren't what they used to be, and fairies have adapted.

Indigo in Shadowglass is a metal fairy. He's not only got metal in his flesh – his wings are metallic, and his blood's laced with quicksilver, and he'll rust if he doesn't keep dry – but his senses zoom in on metal of all kinds. Hunting for the needle in that haystack? Indigo's your fairy. Of course, his metalsense makes him sick, maybe a hangover from that old-world iron allergy.

He's an unlikely creature, but in a modern world that's made of metal, he makes perfect sense.

And I think that's why we have such variety these days: the world has changed, and the paranormal is changing along with it. I still enjoy the old-style creatures, but I love the new ones too. It's an ever-expanding playground. Let's have some fun!

So what's your favourite new take on an old theme? Is it sparkling vampires? Werewolves in space? Zombie romances? Or do you prefer the critters of old, when the rules were the rules and a crucifix stopped a vampire in his tracks?

I've got a copy of Shadowglass to give away to one lucky commenter.

You can find out more about my books at my website: http://www.shadowfae.net/

Thanks for visiting!

~Erica

Contest Time!

Erica has offered a copy of Shadowglass to one lucky winner.

Would you like to be that lucky winner?

Then just leave a comment on this post (you can answer Erica's question posted above) and be sure to include your email contact info.

Open to International Shipping

Contest Closes Tuesday March 23 Midnight EST

Winner Announced on Wednesday March 24

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